Industry Issues

As we continue our series on Profiles in Quarantine, we visit Mark Bale who covers the most super-techy topics on Inkjet Insight that use math above my pay grade. Mark is based in UK which this week announced necessary, but very restrictive, measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. UK is under lockdown with residents instructed to stay indoors except for essential services and subject to fines for violating guidelines.

Usually when we talk about profiles here, we’re talking about paper and color profiles. Today, we’re going for a different kind of colorful by profiling the people behind the scenes here at Inkjet Insight and how we are managing through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we’re all in this together, let’s get to know who we’re in it with, starting with Amy Hahn our editor and social media coordinator who is based in Minnesota, USA.

Pat McGrew with happy new year news on possible compatibility of finishing options across printing processes. Consider the finishing options that can add value in your inkjet environment.

Our latest research surveys production inkjet users on  requirements for print quality measurement when qualifying papers for use on inkjet presses and their satisfaction with OEM services related to meeting those requirements. Executive summary available to all. Premium members can download 18 page report.

A look at industry trends and events affecting the inkjet industry in 2019 and what to keep an eye on in 2020.

Offering new ideas to your organization while leveraging the USPS promotions may set the stage for positive change in 2020. Using inkjet platforms to enable print mail operations to enhance the usefulness of mail and take advantage of the various USPS promotions, while delivering value to consumers and postage savings to their organizations. A win, win, win.

Xerox is closing its “global centre of excellence” in France.  Xerox has announced the closing of the Impika subsidiary privately to French employees but made no public announcement

Pat McGrew delivers the 3rd in her drupa series looking at some of the key announcement from 2016 and who has delivered – and who has not.

Ralf Schlözer provides an overview of key technology launches this week at InPrint Munich as well as insight into why this event is different and valuable.

Cary Sherburne and Elizabeth Gooding talk about the growing market for on-demand textiles and opportunities for commercial printers to get in the game. If you’re interested in this market, Cary says “Do it now!.”

Ralf Schlözer, EU correspondent for Inkjet Insight provides the first in a series covering inkjet in Europe. Here’s an overview of inkjet market for transaction printing key market trends in individual countries. Welcome, Ralf.

We asked Marco Boer of I.T. Strategies “what is the coolest thing about inkjet?” His answer might surprise you.

Production inkjet solutions are proliferating. The quality of many of the solutions has finally reached that of offset, and the productivity has surpassed that of toner. There are also a lot more options and opportunities. Perhaps it is time to step back and take stock of where we are and where things could be going?

Companies evaluating paper for suitability for their inkjet environment have different expectations. What is most important to you and your customers: gamut, show-through, small text clarity, mottle, coalescence, edge clarity, or are they all important? Do you get the data you need to see how a paper performs in these areas on your press?

Pat McGrew and Elizabeth Gooding discuss the component parts of a Do-It-Yourself inkjet solution and the pros and cons of DIY.

The current challenges with online advertising underscore the need for print including direct mail, on-statement marketing and point-of-purchase advertising to drive marketing return on investment. Inkjet is a key player in this mix.

Inkjet Insight maps out I.T. Strategies North American print volume data to explore opportunities for production inkjet technologies. The map looks packaging, publishing, and document application categories. Production inkjet has been successful with applications that have light ink coverage printed on uncoated stocks … namely, transactional, direct mail, and some book applications. Many of these applications were converted from high-speed roll-fed toner devices and inkjet provided economic and process benefits and by adding color. Inkjet also provided the ability to add value to printed pages. It’s useful to look at the entire market to help put this area of success in perspective and to think about the requirements for expanding adoption.

With the complexity of Internet of Things (IoT) networks expanding and the cost and frequency of breaches climbing, printers must take advantage of every resource to protect their security and their reputations. We discuss 2018 trends in security and print environments including links to research from Ponemon, Aberdeen and Inkjet Insight.

Inkjet Insight considers developments in the production inkjet market for 2019. Part 1 covers topics including supply chain issues, page volume growth strategies, and new market opportunities. Part 2 of this series will cover product announcements that we anticipate throughout the year.

Another blow for the publishing marketannounced by Georgia Pacific. GP is closing the communications paper division of its Port Hudson facility, as well as the wood yard, pulp mill and energy complex that support it.